From Distilled, October 2008

The Tiwi Islands Water Allocation Plan, one of the three trial locations for the pilots undertaken for the Water Planning Tools Project, has been significantly enhanced with the announcement of Australian Government funding from the Raising National Water Standards Program to the Northern Territory Government to employ an Indigenous water planner for two years. The water planner will develop a water allocation plan for the Tiwi Islands where there are forestry and groundwater extraction pressures on the resource.

The Tiwi Islands water plan will be the first developed for a water system entirely within aboriginal land. The methodology and processes developed will provide lessons for other plans in Indigenous lands and also for areas where there is a mixture of land tenure and ownership.

This investment will enable the Northern Territory Government to undertake the development of the Tiwi Islands water allocation plan immediately. It provides an opportunity to develop tools and guidelines that support other Indigenous water allocation plans and other water sharing plans that recognise Indigenous access to water resources. This project will be one of the first steps into the water planning profession for Indigenous people in Australia.

This investment complements the research and development in the Water Planning Tools Project, where the Tiwi Islands water allocation plan will serve as a case study for the development of tools and guidelines for water planning.

External Links

Tiwi Islands Local Government

Northern Territory Water Management